{"id":192351,"date":"2026-09-29T12:00:50","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T12:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/?p=192351"},"modified":"2026-09-30T10:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T10:54:14","slug":"airbus-a350f-successfully-completes-maiden-flight-kicking-off-certification-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/2026\/09\/airbus-a350f-successfully-completes-maiden-flight-kicking-off-certification-campaign.html","title":{"rendered":"Airbus A350F Successfully Completes Maiden Flight, Kicking Off Certification Campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Airbus\u2019s<\/strong> new widebody freighter, the <strong>A350F<\/strong>, has taken to the skies for the first time, completing a flight test lasting more than four hours that formally marks the start of its certification campaign and its entry into the global air cargo market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An Operational Milestone: 4 Hours and 10 Minutes Aloft<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The test program\u2019s first prototype, manufacturer serial number MSN 700, took off equipped with specialized flight-test instrumentation. During its inaugural mission, the aircraft remained airborne for 4 hours and 10 minutes, reaching a cruise altitude of 25,000 feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The flight deck crew comprised an Airbus flight test team:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Captain and Test Pilot:<\/strong> Bernardo Saez-Benito<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>First Officer and Experimental Test Pilot:<\/strong> Sylvain Guiraud<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Test Flight Engineer:<\/strong> Ludovic Girard<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lead Flight Test Engineers on board:<\/strong> Laurent Bussiere and Jaime Angoloti<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout the flight, the crew focused on verifying baseline airworthiness, evaluating core flying qualities, and ensuring that primary systems operated in line with design predictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis maiden flight is a major milestone for the A350F and for our customers worldwide. As the latest development of our highly successful A350 platform, the A350F is a true game-changer for the air freight market, combining unmatched operational flexibility, fuel efficiency, and range,\u201d said Lars Wagner, Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Aircraft at Airbus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>\u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/2026\/09\/airbus-expects-drop-in-september-deliveries-following-quality-issue-on-a321neo.html\">Airbus Expects Drop in September Deliveries Following Quality Issue on A321neo<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Payload, Range, and Structural Efficiency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Airbus A350F is engineered to meet long-haul air cargo demands. Key technical specifications include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Payload Capacity:<\/strong> Up to 111 tonnes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Operational Range:<\/strong> Up to 4,700 nautical miles (8,700 kilometers).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Advanced Materials:<\/strong> More than 70% of the airframe is composed of advanced materials, enabling a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) that is 46 tonnes lighter than competing aircraft.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Powerplant:<\/strong> Powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, delivering up to a 40% reduction in fuel burn and carbon emissions compared to rival models in the same payload and range category.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regulatory Compliance:<\/strong> It is the first newly built freighter fully compliant with the latest carbon dioxide emissions standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Commercial Performance and Next Steps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On the commercial front, as of the end of August 2026, the A350F had secured 115 orders from 14 disclosed customers, capturing up to a 59% market share in the large freighter segment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The flight of MSN 700 marks the beginning of an intensive flight-test campaign spanning more than nine months. Meanwhile, final assembly of the second test aircraft, MSN 701, is well underway, with roll-out into the paint shop scheduled in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-topics\">Related Topics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-post-grid uagb-post-grid  uagb-post__image-position-top uagb-post__image-enabled uagb-block-9e302684     uagb-post__items uagb-post__columns-2 is-grid uagb-post__columns-tablet-2 uagb-post__columns-mobile-1 uagb-post__equal-height\" data-total=\"41\" style=\"\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"uagb-post__inner-wrap\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class='uagb-post__image'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/2026\/09\/embraer-nears-key-regional-jet-order-from-japan-airlines.html\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"bookmark noopener noreferrer\" class='uagb-image-ratio-inherit'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"400\" 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wp-block-button\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"wp-block-button__link uagb-text-link\" style=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/2026\/09\/embraer-delivers-2000th-e-jet-solidifying-the-program-as-one-of-commercial-aviations-most-successful.html\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"bookmark noopener noreferrer\">Read More<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Airbus\u2019s new widebody freighter, the A350F, has taken to the skies for the first time, completing a flight&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":4312,"featured_media":192309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[190],"tags":[217,222],"class_list":{"0":"post-192351","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-the-industry","8":"tag-airbus-2","9":"tag-aircraft"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo.webp",800,400,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo-300x150.webp",300,150,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo-768x384.webp",768,384,true],"large":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo.webp",800,400,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo.webp",800,400,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo.webp",800,400,false],"pk-small":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo-80x80.webp",80,80,true],"pk-thumbnail":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo-300x225.webp",300,225,true],"csco-small":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo-80x80.webp",80,80,true],"csco-intermediate":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo-200x140.webp",200,140,true],"csco-thumbnail":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo-380x220.webp",380,220,true],"csco-thumbnail-alternative":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo-300x180.webp",300,180,true],"csco-thumbnail-uncropped":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo-380x190.webp",380,190,true],"csco-medium":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo.webp",800,400,false],"csco-medium-alternative":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo-560x336.webp",560,336,true],"csco-medium-uncropped":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo.webp",800,400,false],"csco-large":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo.webp",800,400,false],"csco-large-uncropped":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo.webp",800,400,false],"csco-extra-large":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Airbus-A350F-Primer-vuelo.webp",800,400,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Dergam Mousa","author_link":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/author\/dmousa"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Airbus\u2019s new widebody freighter, the A350F, has taken to the skies for the first time, completing a flight&hellip;","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4312"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=192351"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":192352,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/192351\/revisions\/192352"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/192309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=192351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=192351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=192351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}